Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a novelty clock. More specifically, the present invention relates to a clock using numbered balls to display the current time.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of time keeping, there are many different novelty clocks having various types of displays. While the object of a clock is to properly display the correct time, novelty clocks are provided to display the correct time in a manner that is not only informative, but also entertaining. Novelty clocks have been provided to accomplish particular themes. For example, clock housings have been formed in various shapes, sizes, colors, and the like. Clocks have been made to look like various animals, sports objects, famous characters, and objects of art.
Several clocks have been designed to not only have a unique appearance, but also to display the time in a unique manner. Of specific interest in the present invention are clocks in which a plurality of balls, coins, or other objects are provided for the display of the current time. The plurality of objects are individually manipulated in order to accomplish this task. In several of the prior art devices, the objects are moved into particular viewable positions for displaying the time. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
Of these patents, the ""198 patent issued to Mayenschein discloses a novelty clock using an accumulation of balls displayed on a track to depict the current time. A plurality of balls is provided in a reserve portion of a track. A pivoting arm rotates at a rate of one rotation per minute. At a low point of the rotation, the arm picks up one of the balls and deposits it onto the upper end of the track when the arm reaches a high point in its rotation. The ball traverses the track until reaching the first time indicator, which is in one minute increments up to four minutes. When a fifth ball is deposited into the first time indicator, the first time indicator is emptied, with one ball being delivered to a second time indicator and the remainder being delivered back to the reserve. The second time indicator is in five minute increments up to fifty five minutes. The minutes are determined by combining the values of the last displayed balls in the first and second time displays. When both the first and second time indicators have been filled, the next ball deposited causes the first time indicator to dispense all of the balls therein, one being diverted to the second time indicator as described, that ball causing the second time indicator to be emptied, with one ball being directed toward a third time indicator and the remainder back to the reserve. The third time indicator is in one hour increments up to twelve hours. In like manner to the first and second time indicators, when twelve is displayed in the third time indicator and a further ball is delivered thereto, all of the balls are emptied and delivered to the reserve. Each of the time indicators is provided with one permanently placed ball in order to enable reorientation of the time indicator after having been emptied. In the first and second time indicators, this ball is positioned in a xe2x80x9czeroxe2x80x9d position, given no value. In the third time indicator, this ball is position in the xe2x80x9conexe2x80x9d position.
The ""211 patent issued to Mayenschein discloses a novel clock which visually indicates the current time by continuously changing the placement order of a plurality of accumulated balls. A plurality of apertures are defined by a housing, with each aperture representing a particular time increment. In one housing, the time increments are hours, in a second housing, the time increments are five minutes, and in a third housing the time increments are one minute. There are four apertures in the third housing. The first housing thus displays the hour while the second and third housings combine to display the minutes. A motor is provided in each housing to move the balls therein to display the balls through the appropriate aperture. Each housing is designed to resemble a train car, with the three being connected in end-to-end fashion behind a train engine to give the appearance of a train.
Hicks et al., in the ""064 patent, disclose a clock which uses a counting device with ball actuated, aligned, rotatable indicating elements. The ""064 device includes a plurality of indicating elements rotatable around parallel axes, arranged side by side in three columns, representing one hour increments, ten minute increments and one minute increments. Each indicating element includes a display portion and a ball actuated flange, mounted on a common axle with the flanges of adjacent elements in each column forming a ball conveying track. The elements are successively rotated to the upward display position by a ball whose continued presence atop an element""s flange causes an appropriate rotation of that element. The balls are continuously recycled by a synchronous motor elevator which collects the balls at their lowest position and returns them to their highest position in communication with the ball conveying tracks. After all of the indicating elements in a column have been raised to their display position, the ball resets the first rotated element causing it to reset the adjacent elements. In this way the elements are returned to their downward position by a domino effect.
Finally, Goldfarb (""415) discloses a clock mechanism which displays the time by accumulations of counting tokens deposited within three generally vertical but zigzag-shaped channels. As in the previously described devices, the three channels represent one hour, ten minute and one minute increments. A synchronously driven belt carries projecting pins which push the tokens along a path from an enclosure near the bottom of the mechanism to positions above the channels, whence the tokens drop into the channels that are not full. When a particular channel is full, a token bypasses that channel and causes tokens already within the channel to be released for return to the enclosure. Time indicia disposed in front of the channels and the push-path identify the times represented by the various possible accumulations of tokens in the channels and the positions of tokens along the push-path. The indicia are adapted to be relatively inconspicuous when not backed up by tokens, and to be made relatively conspicuous when they are backed up by tokens.
The present invention is a novelty clock having a display comprised of numbered balls. Specifically, the present invention is a clock in which replica pool balls are used to display the current time in a twelve hour cycle. The clock is contained primarily within a housing having a front panel defining a time display opening through which the balls are passed. The balls are displayed on a shelf that is hinged to the front panel of the clock. The shelf is pivoted upwardly to withdraw the balls and is then lowered to return the balls the most forward position. The housing is received within an opening in the wall of a structure making the only visible portions of the clock the front panel including the display, and whatever is visible through the time display opening in the front panel.
Three ball receiving carousels are provided. The first carousel defines ten ball receptacles for displaying one minute increments of time. A second carousel defines six ball receptacles and is provided for displaying ten minute increments. A third carousel defines twelve ball receptacles and is provided for displaying one hour increments. Each carousel includes first and second side walls mounted on either end of a bearing sleeve. The bearing sleeve is provided for receiving an axle. At least one end of the axle is carried by a mounting bracket secured to the clock housing.
A plurality of ball receiving cells are defined along the periphery of each carousel by an array of equally spaced apart dividing walls. In the first carousel, the dividing walls are spaced at a 36xc2x0 angular spacing. In the second carousel, a 60xc2x0 angular spacing is provided. In the third carousel, a 30xc2x0 angular spacing is provided.
A ball support is provided for retaining the balls within their respective cells at least in the bottom half of the carousel. The ball support defines an arcuate track carried by the ball support over which the balls travel while in the bottom portion of the rotation.
One ball from each carousel is absent from its respective cell at any given time except during the changing of the time. Because the empty cell is disposed on the front side of the carousel, the weight of the remaining balls in that carousel serve to cause the carousel to rotate backwards until the empty cell is disposed at the top of the carousel. In order to prevent such backwards rotation, a stop is carried by the ball support. The stop is an elongated member pivotally connected at one end to the ball support. The stop is oriented such that the free end is disposed above the pivoted end and within a ball receiving cell. As the weight of the balls cause the carousel to experience reverse rotation, the free end of the stop engages a divider wall to stop rotation.
A time display control mechanism is provided for moving the first carousel through a rotation of 36xc2x0 each minute. The mechanism includes primarily a timing device, a motor, and a drive mechanism. At one minute intervals, the timing device actuates the motor. The motor is mounted on a bottom panel of the housing and includes an output shaft to which the drive mechanism is connected. When the motor is actuated, the output shaft imparts movement in the drive mechanism, which in turn rotates the first carousel.
The drive mechanism includes a first pulley mounted on and rotated by the motor output shaft. A second pulley is mounted on an upper panel of the housing. A belt is received about each of the first and second pulleys in an endless configuration. The belt is secured to a planar grid that is slidably mounted on the inside wall of the front panel of the housing. As the motor is actuated, the belt is moved in a circuitous path, thus moving the grid vertically either up or down.
Initially, when the motor is actuated, the grid is moved upwardly. The drive mechanism further includes first and second limit switches to limit the movement of the grid in either direction. The first limit switch is provided at the upper limit of travel of the grid. The limit switch is positioned such that the grid engages the limit switch at the upper limit of travel. When engaged, the first limit switch signals the motor to reverse direction. The grid is then moved downward until it engages the second limit switch which signals the motor to deactivate.
In an alternate embodiment, a cam plate is mounted on the output shaft of the motor. A cam is eccentrically carried on the cam plate. The motor is oriented such that the cam is inserted into a slot formed in the grid. The motor is actuated through one complete rotation at each one minute interval. As the motor is actuated and the output shaft rotated through the first half of the cycle, the cam is raised, thus raising the grid. During the second half of the cycle, the cam, and consequently the grid, is lowered. The slot is so formed to allow lateral movement of the cam during the rotation of the motor output shaft.
In a further alternate embodiment, a digital processor is used to operate a step motor. In this embodiment, the timing device and limit switches are not necessary. The digital processor is used to signal the step motor how far to step in one direction before reversing direction. The digital processor then signals the step motor when to stop. In a further alternate embodiment the digital processor is used to control three step motors. One step motor is provided for imparting rotation on each carousel, thereby eliminating the need for engagement devices between each of the grid and first carousel, the first and second carousels, and the second and third carousels.
Changing the time display is accomplished through three primary steps. First, at least the one minute ball is withdrawn into the first carousel. Next, at least the first carousel is rotated through an increment equal to the angular length of its ball receiving cells. Finally, the new time display is moved to a viewing position. At the changing of a ten minute increment, the first step also includes withdrawing the ten minute ball, and the second step includes moving the second carousel through a rotation of 60xc2x0. Likewise, at the changing of a one hour increment, the one hour ball is also withdrawn and the third carousel is rotated through 30xc2x0.
In order to withdraw the balls, a lifting mechanism is provided for pivoting the shelf upward. As the shelf is pivoted such that its distal end is elevated above its proximal end, each of the balls is encouraged toward their respective ball receiving cells.
The second step of the time display change process is accomplished through a portion of the downward motion of the grid. A pivoting engagement member is carried by the grid and is positioned to engage one of an array of fixed engagement members carried by the first carousel. A biasing device is provided for biasing the pivoting engagement member toward the first carousel such that as the grid begins its descent, the pivoting engagement member engages the fixed engagement member, thus imparting downward rotation on the first carousel. As the first carousel begins rotating, the one minute ball is received within its ball receiving cell. As the first carousel continues to be rotated downwardly, the next successive ball receiving cell is aligned with the time display opening defined by the front panel.
While the grid descends from its upper limit to its lower limit, the shelf is lowered in a reverse manner to that described for its raising. Thus, when the ball receiving cells are in substantial alignment with the time display opening and the shelf is oriented such that its distal end is lower than its proximal, each of the one minute, ten minute and one hour balls are rolled to the distal end of the shelf into a display position.
At the passing of each ten minute interval, the rotation of both the first and second carousel to change the one minute ball and ten minute ball, respectively, is required. To impart rotation on the second carousel, an array of six fixed engagement members are carried on the exterior of the second carousel first wall. A pivoting engagement member that is normally not biased toward the second carousel is provided. A biasing device including a first magnet carried by the first carousel and a second magnet carried by the pivoting engagement member is provided for biasing the pivoting engagement member toward the second carousel once during each revolution of the first carousel.
At the passing of each one hour increment, rotation is imparted on the third carousel by the second carousel in similar fashion to the manner in which rotation is imparted on the second carousel by the first carousel.